In Search of..
prart 3
by Beth Horowitz

In a matter of seconds I saw his mood suddenly turn much more somber as he sighed and adjusted himself in his seat. He looked lost, as though there was so much to say he couldn't figure out where to begin. Every time he looked as though he was going to begin the story he'd wrinkle his nose, sigh, and drum on the steering wheel. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity and as my patience was running dangerously thin, he said, "I was stolen from my family as a child, just like you. My only friends in that place were Angelo and Miss Parker, just like your only friends while you were there were Angelo, George, and your brother Brian."

It seemed as though my mind was on overdrive as I tried to place those names. Miss Parker, George, and Brian, they sounded so familiar, like as I heard those names a part of me that felt lost was coming through the fog.

"Pause, rewind. Miss Parker and Brian.. why are those names so familiar?"

"Because Miss Parker is your mother, the mother the Centre never let you know. George was a close friend, and Brian is your twin brother, you were inseparable for ten years."

"TEN YEARS? News flash buddy, I don't remember a twin brother.. How is this possible? I don't understand."

"It's called re-education, and it's a Centre specialty. They drugged and brainwashed you into thinking you led an entirely different life before you were brought to Laura. Laura is a niece of Mr. Raines, he left you in her care until he had use for you. Your brother and yourself were created without your mother or father's knowledge or consent. You were not abandoned and you were not forgotten if that's what you're worried about. I wondered the same things after I escaped."

"How long were you in that place?"

"Give or take thirty some years."

"Wow."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"Man you must be traumatized.. Whoa."

"Yup." He said that as though he didn't really want to talk about his situation, but my own, so I relented and began thinking over all of the questions I had wondered about while in classes.
"Where's my brother?"

"Hiding out with his grandfather, he's safe, he escaped when he was twelve. They didn't hurt him, they just didn't let him go outside."

"Why did they let me go?"

"Your brother has a talent, a skill. There's a gene in his DNA that let's him become a pretender, with the right training. A pretender is someone that can become anyone they want to be, can get inside someone's head, and foresee future actions and chronicle past ones. That's why they kept him. But girl pretenders have it differently. Once puberty begins to set in a female pretender's ability to simulate people is clouded, because of all of the hormones that go along with it. It can make simulations near impossible. It's easier with males because puberty sets in more slowly, and later, so the pretender can adjust to their mentor more before it becomes difficult."

"Okay.. So what did Mr. Raines want to do to me?"

"I'm not sure if you're ready to hear this."

"Whether I'm ready or not doesn't have any bearing. If I'm going to deal with all of this you need to tell me the entire story, and not leave entire chunks missing."

"Before you were sent away Mr. Raines harvested your.. um.. he acquired.. No, that's not right.. he facilitated his possession of your.."

"Spit it out."
"Eggs. He harvested your eggs."

"Oh. Oh god. Oh my god no."

"He failed the first few times, and only got lucky with one egg, and fortunate enough for the Centre, they split and they discovered the surrogate was carrying twin boys."

"I have sons. I'm a mother. I'm 16. Oh my god." I shivered just then, at the thought of being so violated and used.

"They're four, and the Centre was going to bring you back next year, but because you came searching for them they thought they might as well get more samples of your genetics now and create more children."
"Where are they? Oh god don't tell me they're still there! Why the hell did you take me and not take them with us?! Turn around!"

"Calm down, Angelo made more than one trip outside. He brought the boys and your things the first time up, and I drove them to my friends houses and they're taking them to the same place we're going, a safe-house in Georgia. We'll be there soon."

"So who's the father? Wait, before you answer that, who's my father?"

"Well, I can't really tell you who your father is right now, but the boys' father is George. He was the other pretender in the program, and the most successful."

"Who are your friends that are bringing my boys to the house? Do they work for the Centre? Are they safe, are we safe?"

"I assure you your children are in the best hands. They're with your mother and her father Sydney, although she doesn't know he's her father so don't mention in to her."

"I used to know Sydney didn't I?"

"Yes, I'm glad the Centre did as bad of a job re-educating you as they did with me. He worked very closely with Brian and you. He was my mentor as well, and after your brother escaped he became your sons'."

"Wow, he gets around."

He laughed at this and said "Yeah, I guess I never thought of it that way. His specialty is twins."
"Because he had a twin, right? His name started with a J I think, am I getting close?"

"Jacob."

"Riiight, Jacob. He died though, after a car accident. Wow, all of these memories are just rushing back to me."

"Yes, the Centre cut his brake line and his car wrapped itself around a tree thirty years ago. He was in a coma until a few years ago, he came out for a short while and died."

"Jacob broke the rules. He tried to save the children of the Centre, with my mom's mom, the woman I'm named after."

"That's right, you're Catherine Parker's namesake. She was also killed by the Centre. Okay, we're getting close, I suggest you prepare yourself, you're meeting a lot of important people in a few minutes."

It was at this moment everything became clear, and I started hyperventilating for the second time that day. All of the Centre secrets were becoming clear as others were starting to emerge.

I was so nervous, and trying to think of something to say, something to do, that would calm me down and make this meeting less scary, but I couldn't think of a thing. My mind was on overload. So many memories were rushing back to me, and the lies fed to me as a child were clouding my judgment as I tried to figure out what was real and what wasn't. It was as I was deciphering what was true and false that we pulled up to a large farm house and Jarod parked the car. I knew I wasn't ready for this, but I also knew I never would be. In less than a minute I was going to become a mother to two boys. I was going to become a daughter to Miss Parker. I was going to so much to so many people, people I barely knew, and some people I didn't know at all. Jarod came around to my side of the car and opened my door, and looked me in the eyes as he took my hand. And as we stared at each other I felt calmer, I somehow knew it was going to be alright. Somehow.
 
 
 
 

Sorry it’s so dialouge-y but I couldn’t think of a better way to make the story clearer. FYI - Feedback makes me write faster.
 
 
 

Feedback please